My Winter Wonderland

White Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white christmas,
with every christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your christmases be white

And may all your christmases be white...

...like mine was this year! It was such a treat to be home for five days over Christmas, and even more of a treat to see snow on the ground when I woke up Christmas morning! Such a good trip to Charlottesville and D.C. - more posts to come.

Unseen Wonders

I have made it a tradition to read the following article to my residents ever since the first Christmas I worked in long term care. I always hope it reminds them that at any age we may have the faith of a child, a hope in things unseen, and enjoyment of "faith, poetry, love, and romance". I hope it reminds you too. Merry Christmas!


Editorial Page, New York Sun, 1897

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor--- I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O'Hanlon

Response:

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to have men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive of imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest mean, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

AFOMFT: SomeEcards

My family knows how much I love these hilarious, semi-offensive, off the wall e-cards. For those that haven't received one from me (yet), the website is http://www.someecards.com. Warning: some can be a bit crude and politically incorrect, but most are just plain funny. Here are a few that are fit for the season...

AFOMFT: Christmas Decorations....

The good

My favorite sight of all - our Christmas tree at home in Charlottesville.

It's safe to say that most people perceive "nursing homes" to be dark, dreary, and depressing places... and I am here to show you that's not always the case. The picture above is of my facility's living room. We have truly decked the halls of our building, and the residents are enjoying the season.

And for all my Charlottesville friends, this is a sight that we look forward to every year. Ivy Store lights up the town with their beautiful rooftop display of Christmas lights right around Thanksgiving, and no matter how many years you've been around for it, the first time you pass by it you'll be sure to gasp and exclaim, "The lights are up!!!"

The homemade

Christmas is always a fun time for the activities calendar as there are so many additional programs and ideas that can be implemented. Arts and Crafts is something that residents of all different functioning levels can participate in, and it's always a treat to see the finished product of their hard work. The above wreath was worked on for three hours yesterday by a few ladies. It was quite humorous to watch as one lady picked out the ribbon, the second lady pinned the ribbon to the wreath, and the third lady approved of it's placement. They were very proud of their work, especially when I hung it on the dining room door for all to see.

The interesting

AFOMFT: Quoting Movies

J: Firas, name the movie! "I thought I was your snack pack!"
(silence)
J: "You can shave my aaaarmpits!"
F: Charlie Wilson's War?
J: Firas, that's a serious movie! This is a funny one!
J: "If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis."
(silence)
J: C'mon. "You can shave my aaaarmpits!" (in a real deep voice)
F: Lion King?

I can't stop laughing as I write this. My body is actually shaking. It was Billy Madison. He knew it right after I said it. Ah, it's going to be a good day.

AFOMFT: Christmas

Being away from home, I have realized how much I value the Christmas traditions and memories I have with my family that are centered around this special season. I love Christmas. I am the kid who believed in Santa Clause until I was 10 years old. I probably would have continued to believe in him until my kids went present-less on Christmas Day because I was expecting Santa to come down through the chimney and make the gifts appear. I'm thankful that my Mom thought I was old enough to know that there was no Santa and made the mistake of saying, "Now that you know it's me and your Dad buying your Christmas gifts, I want your help picking out some clothes..." WHAT!? If Mom and Dad are buying Christmas gifts.... where does that leave Santa?! I'm pretty sure I cried. As a fifth-grader. And it's not like I was completely sheltered growing up... I had friends, cousins, and neighbors telling me that Santa Clause didn't exist. I just didn't believe them. Poor Mom... she thought Dad was going to kill her for taking away the magic of Santa Clause. However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for spilling the beans. Middle school is an awkward phase of life anyways... I can only bet that being a middle schooler who believed in Santa would have been a hundred times worse.

But even without Santa, Christmas is still my favorite time of the year. This will be my first Christmas with just my parents (Nicole will be spending the day with her in-laws in New York and Deirdre will be in Ireland), and I have already talked Nicole into letting me call her at 6:30 am on Christmas morning while I open my stocking. Since we were itty bitty, we have been spending the night in the same room on Christmas Eve and falling asleep to Christmas movies together, anxiously looking forward to one of us waking up at the crack of dawn (if not earlier) and stumbling her way into the hallway, hoping to trip over three stockings left by "Santa". I could continue on about our tradition in how we go about opening up the matching gifts in our stockings, but I feel like I'm sharing secrets of our sisterhood - ha, ha.

A few other Christmas traditions that I can always count on include....

Lilly wearing some sort of ridiculous Christmas gear... and loving it.

Mom and Nicole insisting that we try on ALL of our new clothes and wearing new outfits Christmas Day, the day after, and so on....

Snow on the ground (well, I can't count on a White Christmas... but I can hope for it)

A beautiful Christmas Tree, complete with our favorite ornaments...


Christmas Day Open House at the Johnsons... complete with Lauer grind trains, an amazing buffet of food, pony kegs, Mr. Johnson's famous soup, and lots of laughs...

And so many more... I can't wait to be home!

AFOMFT: Pumpkin Spice Lattes

I started writing a post titled, "AFOMFT: Awkward Dates" and soon realized that it would take me more than 20 minutes on a Thursday morning to cover that topic. So for now I will post on another favorite treat, a warm one this time: Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. I will be honest by saying that Starbucks is not my typically my favorite cup o' joe, but when it comes to seasonal drinks, they know what they're doing. Or brewing, rather. And what makes it even more festive is the holiday cup it's served in... ah, how the details make such a difference. I could live without the absurdly cheesy, overbearingly enthusiastic voice welcoming me to Starbucks at 7:45 in the morning when I'd rather be curled up in bed watching Elf. "Helllooooooooo and welcome to Starbucks! I hope you are having a FANTASTIC morning, and may I offer you a turkey bacon sandwich fresh out of the oven?!?!" Take it down a notch, barista. But I can't complain... it sure beats cranky customer service. Anyways, go treat yourself to a warm seasonal drink... you deserve it.

AFOMFT: A Few of My Favorite Things

The start of the Christmas season has led me to brainstorm a list of my favorite things. I think that I'll write a few posts leading up to Christmas highlighting a few of these things. The first one is something I should be writing about it in the summertime, but for me it's a year-round treat. Frozen yogurt. I realize that the winter should be a season fillled with hot chocolate, warm desserts, and apple cider. I do love all of those things, but not as much as I love frozen yogurt. Arches was our main hangout in high school.... we spent countless nights there talking, laughing, eating yogurt, sharing, planning pranks, sitting on the hood of the car and singing Better Than Ezra, and so on... life was good. Although I can't relive those days, I can definitely still enjoy some froyo. For those living in a cave, or Farmville, Froyo = Frozen + Yogurt = Frozen Yogurt. Froyo franchises have jumped on the old-school ice cream bandwagon where you self-serve the yogurt, add whatever toppings you're in the mood for, weigh your yogurt, and pay by the ounce. Genius. I am not much of a daredevil when it comes to toppings... I'm perfectly content with heath bar and a few chunks of reeses cups... and then there's Firas. See picture below and guess which yogurt is his. And while froyo might not be a standard winter treat, it's seasonal flavors make up for it's lack of warmth.... pumpkin pie flavored frozen yogurt? Yes. Please.

No, you're not seeing things. The yogurt on the left is topped with sour gummy worms, mint oreos, butterfinger, and raspberries. You can't even see the chunks of cookie dough he has underneath the oreos. Love it.

Reason #683 I Love My Family

I received a package in the mail today that included:

Jessica Simpson's Christmas album: Before you judge Deirdre for sending it and me for listening to it every time I'm in my car, check it out. She might have the reputation of a total flake, but she can belt some Christmas tunes. It's powerful, I promise. Ask Tara. And the Kappa Delta's that lived above us junior year of college... surely after hearing Jessica and Ashlee's rendition of "Drummer Boy" blared through our speakers on a nightly basis, they were hooked as well.

Glittery Christmas Pin and Jingle Bell Bracelet: I'm guessing these came from the very bottom of Mom's jewelry box and what perfect timing... I will be gearing up for my Tacky Sweater Pub Crawl next weekend and these will be excellent additions.

Pictures of their Turkey Hands: I figured this would be hard to explain, so I took pictures. Of each turkey hand. It was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and they knew it would be tough on me... most families might call, send a card, etc... and don't get me wrong, they did all that the day before, the day of, and the day after Thanksgiving... but they went the extra mile. I would assume they had shared a couple glasses of wine at this point, or perhaps they were bored and tired of the "What If, Then" game... but either way, just picturing them sitting at the kitchen table laughing their heads off while tracing their hands made me happy.

Mom's Turkey

Dad's Turkey

Will's Turkey (look out Firas, you're being chased...)

Tony's Turkey

Nicole's Turkey

Deirdre's Turkey

Thank you for these special pictures, and for making me laugh hard enough to startle the creepy cat sitting near the mailboxes. I love you guys.

P.S. This is my 100th post. Woo-hoo!

A Trip Down Manure Lane

Jimmy has come out of his gargoyle-wannabe days and is back to his joking self. Hal-le-lu-jah. I had the privilege of meeting his brother on Thanksgiving, and Jimmy and I were catching up about their visit this afternoon. I asked how much trouble they got into as young boys, and he went on to tell me that he really wasn't that bad of a kid, and had only been smacked by his father once... on the fanny, to be exact. I confessed that I was a bit surprised (not that he been smacked by his father, but that he had only been smacked once), and asked what he did to deserve it this one time. Jimmy began to chuckle. As the story goes.... "I got drunk. Ooooweeee, I got drunk. I had to cross through our cow lot on my way back home and I ended up falling in the cow manure, several times. I finally made it back to the house, and stumbled into my bedroom.... where my mother had just finished papering the walls. Ooooweeee. So there I was, falling all over the bedroom and touching the walls with my manure-covered body and hands. And baby, that's why I got smacked across the fanny."

Holiday Throwback

This poem was originally posted in a blog titled "Mighty WILD Women", shared by myself, Dana, Vail, and Eliza Joy. We started it our senior year of college (five years ago - omg, how old are we?) and we weren't the most dedicated bloggers.... but when we did take the time to post, it was quite amusing, atleast to the four of us. Since we are only a day away from the glorious month of December, I thought it would be fun to go back in time... to the poem I wrote five years ago.... about the day before our high school graduation, nine years ago.

'Twas The Week Before Graduation

While in the holiday spirit, I decided to write my own version of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Bear with me.

'Twas the week before Graduation, when all through the land
The four girls were stirring, devising a plan
The blue robes were hung in their closets with care
In hopes of looking hot in the kodak memories they'd share

The girls were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of bike helmets danced in their heads
And Dana in her double bed, and Eej in her twin,
Had just settled their anxiety of tomorrow's event

The girls arose to prepare for the day
They were out of their minds, some might say
Decked out in spandex and helmets for their heads
They loaded the bikes into the car from the shed

They posted ridiculous signs to their backs
"Farmville or Bust", now that is a fact
"Honk If You Love Red Meat", that's another
"Seniors '02", ain't nothin' better

Turns out that two of the bikes had flat tires
Looks like half of the crew wouldn't be riding
Dana and Vail took off on the bikes
While Jaclyn and EJ's running feet took a hike

The yellow buses passed by, so close and so quick
The girls knew in an instant they were taking a risk
More rapid than Bodo's, the kids rushed to have a glance
Some pointed and laughed, while others were entranced

Now Eej and Dana, Jaclyn and Vail,
Arrived at the school, their prank had not failed!
Laughing aloud, screaming for the class of '02
This was one morning to remember, they knew

These are the memories that have shaped their past
Crazy pranks, good laughs, and friends that will last
Now hear me exclaim as the story comes to an end
Merry Christmas to all, do something foolish with friends!

Dedicated to the girls that don't mind looking foolish with me.

At the Drive-In

The last time I remember going to the drive-in movies was back in third or fourth grade. My Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jiggs took me and my sisters to the drive-in theater in New Hampshire, and I believe we saw "Angels in the Outfield". I remember thinking it was so cool that they took us, and it was definitely something a third-grader could brag about doing on their summer vacation. I think they were still dating at that point... maybe engaged... but I do remember sitting in the back middle of their green Explorer (definitely not letting my leg touch my older sister Nicole's leg or else I would hear, "Skin! SKIN!") Who knew that I would be 26 years old before my next go at the drive-in? Another Austin gem discovered. Firas and I were invited to see a movie a couple weeks ago by a great group of guys and girls at the "Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In". Being located in east Austin, with the exception of it's neighbor "Juan in a Million", this outdoor theater is a diamond in the rough. Not only can a small group rent out the drive-in, you can also bring your own movie AND your own food and beverage. Sianara $10 movie ticket, $9 popcorn and $7 diet coke. To top it off, tickets to the drive-in were only 12 bucks! And a big props to Austin weather for allowing us to all sit in lawn chairs and watch the movie outside of our cars. I had a hunch that these were my kind of people when the movie suggestions included "So I Married an Axe Murderer", "Stand By Me", "Top Gun" and "The Goonies". I would have been happy with any of those movies, but was especially thrilled when "So I Married an Axe Murderer" won the vote. Another Lauer classic, and one that doesn't get nearly enough recognition. But Nicole is right... it's making a comeback! The outdoor theater definitely had character... there's really no way to describe it... imagine dozens of lawn chairs, old-time commercials playing on the screen, decorative lights, tacky decor, and a trailer with two artsy guys selling $2 popcorn. Could there be any better way to spend a Thursday evening? I think not.

Gobble Gobble Gobble

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are just a few of the many things I am thankful for....

Parents who love and support me...

Being best friends with my sisters...

Old friends...

Old friends who share new music with me...

New friends...

Friends who understand me...

Friends who are strong and confident...

Friends who make me laugh...

Friends who encourage me...

Being cared for...

...and so much more! Happy Thanksgiving!

"It's Friday, I'm in Love!"

I know, I know... it's been a while. I feel like I'm always saying this. Believe it or not, I wrote two blog entries on the plane by paper and pen and I am just needing to upload my pictures from the last few weeks before posting them. I promise... they're coming! But for now, I am going to steal a post from my friend's blog (I asked her permission) because the timing of this post was impeccable. I have been reminded this week that things don't always turn out as we expect them to. We can have goals and dreams and visions, but we can't predict our future. We had a girls' dinner last week, and one of my (single) friends commented on her birthday coming up and how she thought her life would look very different at this age. Another girl asked how she thought it would look and she responded, "I thought I'd be married with kids." Some people will scoff at this, others will relate. I relate. And I told her that too. But we both remarked that we are happy with where we are. It's easy to make a timelines for ourselves... but that timeline can be so confining. I have watched friends who vowed they would never marry until they were 30 get engaged when they were 24. And friends who thought they'd have their first kid by 25 still be single at 27. My dear friend Katie who wrote the post below is struggling with infertility, and I just love her last few lines about being grateful for what she does have and recognizing the good she has been given. She is also a Recreational Therapist at a healthcare center, and we both feel privileged to witness "true love". I shouldn't even put it in quotes, because it actually does exist. She and I can both vouch for that. Some people find it at 18, some at 25, some at 40.... and while finding it we'll make mistakes, we'll remain in dead-end relationships for way too long, we'll experience heartbreak, and we'll wonder if it is actually in the cards for us. But who cares when we find it if it lasts us a lifetime?



Disclaimer: This post was not to sound like an attempt at Carrie Bradshaw's "Sex and the City" column. Please believe me.




True Love


Kate Ziolkowski

It was my turn to supervise our monthly couples lunch on Tuesday in the Health Services side of our building. Couples lunch is a big deal because all of our couples reside on different levels of care and unless there is a special occasion facilitated by their families, our couples get to eat together once a month.

So I'm sitting at couples lunch observing our 5 couples and watching them interact. Most of them are carrying on conversations with another couple, but one husband and wife catch my eye. He is stroking her arm and watching her intently. As I peer on, he grasps her hand and kisses it while whispering "I do love my sweetie, for always." This is an undying love I'm witnessing for she has dementia.

This is the same couple who greeted each other with many, many short kisses. This is the same couple I rode on an elavator with a few months ago and during the ride they shared the most passionate kiss I have ever seen. These two still can't keep their hands off each other. It's the type of marriage that may gross you out but it's the type of marriage I strive to have. The type of marriage I remind myself to make time for. These two, they have the secret to true happiness. Always love the one you're with...with all your heart. Always show affection. I don't doubt the other couples and their love for each other, but they've forgotten to hold hands, forgotten how to kiss...maybe they just take each other for granted.

In all this infertility stuff, it's easy to let myself get wrapped up in the sadness of it all. But I am always grateful that through fate, a little luck and God's divine intervention, I was allowed to meet my soulmate. My life was not complete until he walked into it. As hard as it is to realize we may never see what the two of us look like in a child, the truth is I'd rather have a total childless life with him than not have him at all. He's my true love.

And I hope I get 64 years of marriage to him just like that couple at work.

http://www.ziolkowskifamily.blogspot.com/

Katie convinces me to do crazy things like work on the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition from midnight 'til 4 in the morning. So glad she convinced me - very cool experience!

Liza and Zach and Love

The frightening picture from Eliza Joy's wedding must have done something for my creative spirit because here I am, ready to write. I wanted to write a post about Liza and Zach's wedding, as it was one of the most special ceremonies and most beautiful receptions I have ever seen. Besides it being an opportunity to spend the evening with a few of my favorite people, it was a time to celebrate two people who are perfect for each other coming together as one. Sounds cheesy, but it was a very sentimental and outspoken ceremony, different than any I've ever seen. Zach and Liza both took a turn speaking to their parents during the ceremony, thanking them for all that they have given and sharing how they have shaped them into the people they are today. I will always remember Liza sharing a memory of driving into New York City with her Mom, feeling overwhelmed and a bit afraid that she was making the wrong decision by moving to a city where she barely knew a soul. At the same time she had these thoughts running through her head, her Mom motioned toward the NYC skyline and said, "You see that? You're going to conquer this city." I just loved hearing this. It isn't hard to see why Liza is such an independent, confident, and driven young woman. Liza and Zach also addressed each other during the ceremony, sharing memories of the milestones in their relationship and praising the qualities that drew them to one another. So sweet. And of course the reception was just absolutely beautiful. There were so many special details, from the creative idea of giving jam as a wedding favor with a label that said "Liza and Zach Spread the Love" to the gorgeous table centerpieces to the chandeliers with tea lights, that made the reception one to remember. Liza was a stunning and fun-loving bride and Zach was a handsome and goodhearted groom. At the risk of sounding super cheesy, it was one of those weddings where you walk away excited about life and I was thankful to Liza, Zach, and their families for that.

Blogger's Block

There are so many things I've been meaning to blog about, but I just haven't had the time or energy. That was hard to admit. I do want to become more consistent with this blog, and I promise to my handful of faithful readers that I will try to do so. I hope to have more time to spend writing after this week is over with. Let's hope so at least... until then, in the midst of wedding season, I will leave you with a favorite picture of mine...


I'm hoping that the energy and determination in this picture will rub off on my blogging efforts. And yes, I did end up with the bouquet. And no, I was not the next to marry.

Gargoyle Envy

Jimmy is the resident who I can count on for a good laugh. He is always positive, always witty, and always calling me "baby". Not in a creepy old man way, but in a grandfather way. Which sounds even more creepy, but you get what I'm saying. He is my guy. I even sing, "Nothing you could do, 'cause like I'm stuck like glue, to my guy, my guy, my guy..." every time I walk into his room. He always joins in halfway through, it's so sweet. Unfortunately, Jimmy had a fall on Friday and physically just hasn't been the same since. He is normally up and about, leaps from his bed to his wheelchair, or will sometimes walk behind his wheelchair while pushing it down the hallway. These past few days, he has spent most of his time in bed and tells me that he's just too weak to get up and participate in activities. He is normally my trivia man... also the one to tell the group that it was his first wife who said, "Give me liberty or give me death." I saw that he was in the hallway outside of his room yesterday afternoon, and I went singing down the hallway toward him. With a grin on his face he told me, "Jackie, I sure hope death isn't too far away for me." I was stunned. I've heard this out of residents' mouths before, but not from someone who is so cognizant and typically optimistic about their situation. I asked him why he felt this way, and he responded that he was just sick and tired of his body getting weaker and the pain that comes along with it. I reminded him that he still had his mind, and he told me that was only worth a little at his age. Jimmy asked me, "Remember the Hunchback of Notre Dame in the very last scene? He looks out from the bell tower at the gargoyle below him and says, "Why couldn't I have been made of stone -- like thee?" Well Jackie, I am the Hunchback." I had nothing profound to say back to him. I just hugged him. With my job being to provide meaningful activities for these residents' "last phase" of life, I have to learn to let go. I so badly wanted to tell him how sad I would be if he was no longer here, or how much he has to live for, or how my heart hurt when he compared himself to the Huncback... but I am learning to just be quiet and listen.

These are a few of my favorite things (about my trip home)....

Family

My first day home was spent with Mom... we ventured out to good ol' Fashion Square Mall for some shopping, Greenberrys for my favorite coffee, Bodo's for my favorite bagel sandwich, and home to relax before Dad got home from work. We decided on dinner at Farmington and fortunately for us, it was Pub Quiz Night! After our pitiful attempt at trivia in Austin (where all the questions were completely obscure and geared towards the more artsy and "emo" crowd), the three of us mustered up the courage to take part in Farmington's trivia night. We didn't win... but we didn't come in last place either! Darn those british intellectuals who take time to read the paper every morning. On Friday night, both my sisters (plus Tony and Will) drove from D.C. to spend the rest of the weekend with us. We had SUCH a good time together! Mom made her famous chicken and stuffing dish... and we proceeded to eat, drink, play our favorite "What If... Then" game, watch home videos, and laugh the night away. It was so nice to be home with everyone.

Charlottesville in the Fall

My second day home was spent showing Firas around the beautiful town of Charlottesville, AKA me being the most annoying girlfriend in the world. No matter what it was we were doing.... eating, sight-seeing, driving... all he heard was, "Isn't this the best ______ you've ever seen?!, "Isn't this the best ______ you've ever tasted?!" Okay, so I was trying to sell my town. I should have let it sell itself, because it's an easy town to love. I was just overly excited to finally be on my stompin' grounds and have places to show him for a change. Even my Mom told me to give it a rest. My apologies, Firas. You were very patient. However, we did get to experience some of Charlottesville's finest attractions, including Riverside Burgers, Starr Hill Brewery, wineries, Zazus, Thomas Jefferson's architecture (Firas was very amused by all of the brick and white columns), and more. We are on a mission to find Starr Hill beer in Austin because it is just so darn good and the customer service is exceptional. We must have had 10 tastings (for free!) and the guy serving us took the time to chat with us and answer all of our questions. You've gotta love the local attractions.

Friends

I was so thankful to be able to spend time with a few of my close friends while back in Virginia. Tara drove from Baltimore to spend Friday night with me and the family, and it was SO much fun having her with us. She's been part of the family since college, and as always, fit right in with our crazy clan. She came along with me, Mom, Dad, and Firas to Pollak and White Hall Vineyards, where we tasted a whole lot of Virginia wine. I still love her even though the server corrected her on how she pronounces Pinot Gris (some people do say "Pinot Grigio", but here it's called... oh, just pour the wine already!) It's funny to think about how many times Tara and I have rolled our eyes at each other, thinking the exact same thing. It was good to be reunited with her, and I am so, so excited for the St. Patrick's Day reunion in Austin! Fast forward to Saturday night where I was able to celebrate with Dana, Elizabeth, Vail, and Emily at Liza and Zach's beautiful wedding. I was so happy that Firas was able to meet some of my closest friends and see me in my element... which would be on the dance floor with my Charlottesville girls. Grind train, anyone? What a night! Another wedding blog post to follow.

Thank you to everyone who made my trip home so wonderful! Now get your tails to Austin! ;)